A Vein Treatment Center in New Jersey Explains Where You’re Headed If You Have Swollen Legs and Ankles

One of the things we’ve noticed at our vein treatment center in New Jersey is that patients don’t necessarily follow the advice you give them. Such patients are also notoriously bad at listening when we explain to them what will happen to them if they ignore our advice. As a classic example, one of the most common symptoms reported by patients is chronically swollen legs and ankles. Often, when they first come to see us, they have already Googled this condition, and they want to be assured that the swelling isn’t due to kidney failure or hypertensive heart disease.

Naturally at our noted vein treatment center in New Jersey, we perform a number of diagnostic tests, and most of the time we determine that the swelling is due to vein disease. We explain this, and recommend what we believe is the best possible treatment, which can range (depending on the individual) from conservative treatment to more permanent treatments such as sclerotherapy or endovenous laser therapy (EVLT). We also warn them – in no uncertain terms – what will happen if they don’t get treated. But then a very strange thing happens – some patients ignore what we’ve told them completely, and don’t show up for treatment. This article is for them, to let them know one more time what is in store for them.

First, here is what’s causing the swelling

In most cases, the swelling is caused by a condition called chronic venous insufficiency, or CVI. CVI happens when the tiny valves that control blood flow through your veins become damaged and “leaky” and allow blood to flow “backwards” back into your veins. CVI is the most common cause of varicose veins, but it is also the most common cause of swelling in the legs and ankles because it allows fluids to collect in your lower extremities.

What will happen to you if you don’t seek treatment

First, you must understand that if your veins have been sufficiently damaged by CVI to cause swelling, the condition is NOT going to “get better on its own.” It’s going to get worse. So here is what you can expect over the next few years.

First, if you already have varicose veins, they’re going to get worse; if you don’t have them already, you probably will. In addition, poor circulation caused by CVI will cause changes in the color and texture of your legs. Your skin will start to turn brown in color and will become more brittle and fragile, and thus more susceptible to injury. Minor scrapes will turn into open sores that will not respond to topical treatment and will refuse to heal. And that’s just what’s happening on the surface. Inside your body, CVI will impair your immune system and increase your likelihood of developing more serious conditions, such as obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and stroke. This is where you’re headed if you don’t seek treatment for your swollen legs and ankles.

But all of this is unnecessary, because vein disease can be easily treated

The damage caused by CVI can’t be “repaired” because once the venous valves have been damaged, they can’t be fixed. But the diseased veins can be treated using minimally-invasive techniques so painless that they require only local anesthesia and can be completed in about an hour in the comfort of our offices. Once the damaged veins have been closed by these procedures, the swelling and other symptoms will go away as well.

To find out more about how modern vein care treatment can eliminate the swelling in your legs and ankles and return you to a state of normal health, give a top vein treatment center in New Jersey a call at 201-693-4847 or go online, and allow the Bergen Coungy vein experts at Chuback Medical Group to improve your health and eliminate your symptoms.